Historic Breakthrough: American Cardinal Robert Prevost Elected as Pope Leo XIV

Vatican City — In a landmark moment for the Catholic Church, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States has been elected the 267th pope, taking the papal name Pope Leo XIV.

On May 8, white smoke rises from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, signaling the election of a new pope. The conclave to elect a new pope met over two days before making a decision.

The white smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel chimney at 6:07 p.m. Rome time marked the end of the conclave and the beginning of a new era in Church history.

Prevost’s election is historic on multiple fronts: he is the first American—and the first North American ever—to ascend to the papacy in the Church’s 2,000-year history. Born in Chicago in 1955, the former missionary bishop in Peru and Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops has long been known for his commitment to social justice, pastoral care, and ecclesiastical reform.

From the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV delivered his first address, greeting the faithful with a message of “peace, unity, and renewal.” Speaking in Italian and Spanish, he pledged to build bridges across cultures and continents, and emphasized a vision of a global, inclusive, and mission-oriented Church.

His election comes at a time when the Catholic Church faces deepening global divisions, declining attendance in parts of the West, and growing influence in the Global South. Observers believe Pope Leo XIV’s Latin American pastoral experience and North American origin position him uniquely to navigate these complex dynamics.

The world now watches as the new pontiff prepares to guide 1.3 billion Catholics through the evolving challenges of the 21st century—armed with a legacy of humility, intercultural dialogue, and a firm commitment to reform.